Nehemiah 6:5 (KJV)

Passage

Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

Nearby Context

Nehemiah 6:3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

Nehemiah 6:4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

Nehemiah 6:5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

Nehemiah 6:6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

Nehemiah 6:7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sent", "sanballat", "servant", "like", "manner", "fifth", "time", and "open". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sent" and "sanballat", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "Yet they sent unto me four times..." into verse 6's "Wherein was written It is reported among...", so "sent" and "sanballat" belong inside that flow. In Nehemiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sent" and "sanballat" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.